The Shire?

It was a thoroughly miserable bank holiday Monday weatherwise: dull and grey all day with the temperature never rising above 2.5C.

Undaunted, we set out this afternoon to visit Sarehole Mill in Hall Green. I have lived in the West Midlands for over 20 years and am something of a Tolkein fan yet surprisingly I have not been to Sarehole before.

It is one of only two surviving working watermills in Birmingham and was constructed around 1750. It is best known for its association with J.R.R. Tolkien who spent part of his childhood nearby. Tolkein himself confirmed that the site and its surroundings were the inspiration for the Shire in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

We chose a good time to go because they have just completed some major work clearing the mill pool of silt. I like this view of the mill with the reflections in the pond.